Salangpur: Salangpur Dham has become the center of yet another row after it recently secured intellectual property (IP) rights for various divine forms of Shri Kashtbhanjan Dev Hanumanji Maharaj and the title ‘King of Salangpur.’

While the temple trust affiliated with the Swaminarayan sect views this as a necessary step to safeguard its spiritual legacy and prevent fraud, the move has triggered protests from Hindu organizations, saints, and devotees who argue that a deity cannot be treated as “private property.”

The IP registration, which encompasses trademark and copyright over various divine forms, pictorial expressions, and creative works, has been carried out by the law firm D. N. Ahya & Co.

Kothari Viveksagar Swami of the temple stated that “Protecting India’s spiritual, cultural, and religious heritage through modern intellectual property laws is a necessity of the times.”

Meanwhile, condemning this move, Hemang Raval, Chairman of the World Brahman Organization, stated that “deities like Hanumanji, Ramji, and Ganpati are symbols of faith, and these cannot be corporate assets of one community.”

“According to Articles 21 and 25 of the Constitution, every citizen of India is entitled to practice their religion and faith. In this way, the name of a God cannot be copyrighted,” he added while further threatening legal action, including complaints to the Charity Commissioner and the filing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the high court or Supreme Court.

Religious leaders have also voiced strong disapproval, Sukhramdas Bapu of Junagadh expressed his disdain, saying, “Shame on the monks who take copyrights without understanding Sanatan… You have even turned God into a business.”

Similarly, Jyotirnath Maharaj slammed the move by the sect saying, “Those people who do not want any relationship with Sanatan, those who disrespect our gods… Why patent Hanumanji? Is it to make profits in Hanuman’s name?… We are ready to give a crushing reply to those making these absurd efforts,”

The Brahm Samaj has also joined the protest, pointing out that “Salangpur” is a village name and “Kashtbhanjan Dev” is one of the 1,008 names of Hanumanji mentioned in ancient Vedas and Puranas, making it ineligible for a trademark.

As the controversy intensifies, devotees remain divided. While some see it as a necessary shield against online scammers, many others view it as an affront to the universal nature of Sanatan Dharma, which holds that “God belongs to the entire world and is not the property of any single trust.” DeshGujarat